Presser-foot mechanism for sewing-machines.



A. H. DE VOE.

PRESSERVFOOT MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. m5.

Patented July 2, 1918.

WITNESSES: 1 A l/I/l/E/VTOR 7; 4 23 J57; /4 M m: noRRrs PETERS ca,mom-Limo" WASHINGTON. n. c

ADBERT H. DE VOE, 0F WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR TO THE SINGERMANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. V

JERE$SEB-FOOT MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 2, 1915. Serial No. 48,594=.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. Dn Von, a citizen of the United States,residing at Westfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Presser-FootMechanisms for. Sewing-Machines of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its primary object to provide means for fullycontrolling the position of a sewing machine presser-foot from beneaththe support of the sewing ma chine in order that the hands of theoperator may be entirely free for the adjustment and other manipulation.of the work.

In its preferred embodiment, the machine is provided with aspring-pressed presserbar having fixed thereon a collar affording ashoulder to receive the thrust of a loose sleeve also applied theretoand actuated by a lifting rock-lever operatively connected with atreadleor knee-lever eneath the work-table and constituting the primarypresser-bar lifting means. The sleeve is provided with a lateral stud toaflord a shoulder for engagement with either of two cam portions or adetaining shoulder of a finger-lever preferably adapted to serve notonly as a detent but as an auxiliary lifter for raising the sleeve andwith it the presser-bar independently of the primary lifting-lever.

The finger-lever is fulcrumed below and intermediate its extreme lateralpositions and is formed witha slot embracing the lat eral stud ofthesleeve with one substantially straight cam-edge in tangential relationwith an imaginary circle concentric with its fulcrum and normally restinupon the said stud. .Thus, in the rise of t e sleeve under the action ofthe primary lifting lever, the engagement of such cam-edge therewithwill cause the finger-lever under its inertia to progressively assumedifl'erent positions in which its centerof gravity remains upon. thesame side of thefulcrum, or to move by mo mentum into a position-whereinits center of gravity upon the opposite side of the fulcrum to. causesaid stud to enter a recess or pocket upon. the opposite sideof saidslot affording a detaining shoulder for positive engagement with thestud. The position. which the finger-lever assumes is determined by thespeed of rising movement of the sleeve, a comparatively slow movement ofthe latter insuring the continued contact of the stud with the cam-edgeof the slot so that the release of the sleeve by the primary lift-v inglever permits the sleeve to drop without obstruction, while a more rapidrise of the sleeve under the action of the primary lifting lever causesthe swinging of the fingerlever by momentum to the opposite side of itsfulcrum for entrance of the stud into its detaining recess or pocket. Inthis position of the linger-lever, the sleeve, and hence thepresser-bar, is locked in its upper or Workreleasing position. i 3 i Thedetaining pocket of the fingerdever is flared so as to produce anoutwardly inclined outer edge, and the slight lift. of the sleevebeyondnormal raised position serves by engagement of its stud with saidinclined edge to throw the lever into opposite extreme or releasingposition with itstangential cam edge in contact with the lateral stud ofthe sleeve, whereby release of the primary lifting lever permits thesleeve to freely descend and the presser-bar to fall for engagement ofthe presser-foot With'the work.-

It is thus evident that the quickness with which the primary liftinglever is actuated determines whether the detaining fin gerlevershall-assume releasing or detaining position, and hence whether thePresser-foot shall promptly descend upon the work upon the release ofthe primary lifting lever" or whether it shall remain elevated for asubsequent actuation of the primary lifting lever for unlocking thepresser-bar from raised position. I

The invention will loe understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear side elevation of a Singer No. 62doubleechain-stitch machine provided with the present improvement, andFig. 2 a front end view of the same with the face-plate removed. Fig. 3is a view of the presser-bar lifting device similar to. Fig. 2 but withthe finger-lever represented in dif-. ferent full and dottedlinepositions. Fig. 4: is a'perspective view of the detainingfingerlever and its fulcrum-pin. y i i As represented in the drawings,the machine frame comprises the base -1 from which rises the hollowstandard .2 sustainingthe tubular overhanging arm 3 terminating inPatented July 2, this.

ion

the head 4:, the base having vsecured thereon naled the reciprocatingneedle-bar 6 earrying the needles 7 and the forward and rearwardpresselbarsfi and 9, normally pressed downwardly by means of thesprings '10 and11 and having secured upon their lower ends the forward and rearwardresser-feet 12 and 13 opposed to the work-plate 5 and the eedzd gle cThe presse'r-bar' 9 has fixed thereon by means of the set-screw '15 the'collar 16 formed with a forked lateral extension embracing the bar' 8,andhas applied thereto beneath said collar the loose sleeve '17 providedatthe lower end with a lateral extension 18 projecting beneathand'adapted to' fengage the under face of the collar 19 fixeduponthe'presser-bar 8 by means of the set-screw 20. The sleeve '17 isformed with a rearwardly projecting boss 21 provided with fthe pin 22which enters an elongated aperture 23 at theforward end of thelprim'ary"presser-foot' lifting rock-lever 24 which is fulcrmned intermediate. itsends upon the stud-screw 25 tapped into the rear, ward side of thetubular arm 3. The lever 2hasin its rearward ai man aperture 26e-nteredfbylthe hooked upper end of the rod 27 p'a'ssingfthrough thework-plate 5 and having fixed" thereon the; collar 28 formed with anapertured lateral lug 29 to which is lnieele'verlrod 30 by means ofwhich the lever 24 isrocked in a manner well known to lift the sleeve'17and with it the presser bars 8' and 9 and'the presser-feet carriedthereby. A

Fixed within the lower portion of the bracket-arm head 4 is thefulcrumpin 31 upon "which is mounted the enlarged lower or hu b portion32' of the finger-lever '33 which is provided above the fulcrum-pininner" with the slot 34: having in the side adjacent the' body portionof the 'lever the substantially straig'hflcam-ed'ge 35 in tangentialrelation with an imaginary circle concent'ricl vvithtlie fulcrumqa'i'n31, and "having in the outer "portion of its opposite edge the lateralflaring recess or. pocket 36 formed with the detent shoulder 37 and theupwardly andioutwardl inclined cam ,edge38.

' sliding sleeve .1 carries aibller-stud of the operating treadle orknee-lever, and the rise of the sleeve 17 carries the stud 3i) upward incontinuous contact with the camedge 35, the body of thelever 33 swingingupwardly but remaining upon the same side of a vertical line passingthrough the fulcrum-pin 31, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. '3.In case the operator desires the presser-feet to remain in raisedposition after release of thelifting lever 21, a. quick movement of thelatter causes the stud 39 to swing the lever 33 with sufiicient speed tocause its momentum to carry it into its opposite extreme position at theopposite side of the fulcrum-pin 31, whereby it is caused to assume thelocking position represented in fulllines in Fig.3, with the stud 39resting upon the detaining shoulder 37. The release 'of the lever 26under such condition leaves the presser-feet locked in their raisedpositions. In order to lower the presser feet upon the work, a slightactua tion of the lever 24 to elevate the sleeve 17 above its normallocked position causes the engagement of the stud 39 with the cam edge38 to swing the lever 33 by momentum into unlocking position whereby itis released fromthe pocket 36 and is caused under the action of thesprings 10 and 11 to ride down the cam edge 35 while the lever 33gradually assumes normal position, represented in Figs. 1 and 2.

While according to the present invention the lever 33 serves primarilyas a detent ,for maintainingthe presser-feet elevated at the will. ofthe operator, the sloti34l has upon the side opposite the cam edge adiver-gently inclined cam edge 40 so disposed that the operator mayeffect the lifting of the Presser-feet by hand by shifting the lever 33from the position represented in Fig. 2 to the full line positionrepresented in Fig, 3,

In theinachine represented in the drawings, two pressenbars are showneach provided with a presser-foot, but it is evident that the presentimprovement is equally adapted for embodiment in machines employing onlya single presser-foot. It is also evident that the present improvementis not-'liniitedto the particular construction and arrangement of partsherein shown and described, its .leading'feature being the provision forcontrol of the period during which the presser-foot remains elevated bymeans disposed beneath the work-plate so that the hands of the operatormay be entirely free to manipulate. the work.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claimherein 1. Ina sewing machine, in combination, a

presser-foot, a lifter therefor, and means movable by'and adapted tocontinue its movement independently of said lifter for detaining thepresser-foot raised when .desired.

2. In a sewing machine, in combination, a presser-foot, a detent-leverprovided with release and detaining portions for control of the actionof the resser-foot, connecting means between said lever and thepresserfoot, a lifter for the presser-foot, and connections between saidlifter and said detentlever for causing movement of the detentlever fromthe'lifter whereby the presserfoot may be detained raised or releasedfrom a raised position when desired.

3. In a sewing machine, in combination, a Presser-foot, a liftertherefor, and a detent for maintaining the presser-foot raised andcontrollable through said lifter by a single application of force to beeither effective or ineffective in maintaining the presser-foot raisedafter it has been elevated.

4. In a sewing machine, in combination, a presser-foot, a liftertherefor provided with means for locking the presser-foot in raisedposition, and a second lifter adapted to operate the first-named lifterto render it either effective or ineffective for locking thepresser-foot in raised position.

5. In a sewing machine, a presser-foot, a lever, a treadle connection tosaid lever, and means operable through said treadle connection and leverfor raising and either locking in raised position or releasing saidpresserfoot by a single application of foot power in the same direction.

6. In a sewing machine, a presser-foot, two separate and distinctpresser-foot lifting levers, one of which is shaped to detain thePresser-foot raised, said presser-foot lifting levers being operativelyconnected to the presser-foot in such wise that operation of one leverto elevate the foot may be utilized to effect a detaining of thePresser-foot raised by the other.

7. In a sewing machine, a presser-foot, lifting mechanism including alifting lever operated from below the machine, and a de tent shaped tohold the presser-foot raised and controlled by said lever to effect alooking of the presser-foot in raised position whereby the presser-footmay be moved from work-engaging position and held elevated or lowered asdesired by a single application of foot power.

8. In a sewing machine, a presser-foot, treadle and hand operablelifting levers operatively connected with said presser-foot forpermitting it to be moved by either hand or foot power, said handoperable lifting lever being capable of manipulation by said treadleoperable lifting lever to efiect a look ing of the presser-foot inraised position and through a momentary application of footpower.

9. In a sewing machine, a presser-foot, a lever, a treadle connectionfor moving said lever and thereby lifting said presser-foot, and meansoperatively arranged with relation to said lever and presser-foot for securing said presser-foot in raised position whereby through rapid andslow applications of foot power the Presser-foot may be elevated with orwithout respectively a securing thereof in raised position.

10. In a sewing machine, a resser-bar, a presser-foot carried thereby, alever connected to said bar, a treadle connection for mov ing said leverand lifting said bar and presser-foot, a detent operatively connected tosaid bar, said detent being shaped to permit the elevation of saidpresser-foot with or without a locking thereof in raised position andsaid detent being actuated through its connection with the resser-barwhen the bar is lifted by an application of foot-power through thetreadle connection.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT H. DE VOE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Welshman, h. e.

